We Are Not The Center of the World (Acts 1:8)

I just heard something that I found very insightful, and it struck me as insightful because I've been thinking about Acts 1:8 all wrong.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

Now, like many of my brothers and sisters here in America, I have always interpreted this passage to mean that we had a job to go forth and evangelize the world so that "the ends of the earth" can have a chance to hear the Gospel.

Here's the thing though. We are the "ends of the earth". The problem I've had, and perhaps many of you have had as well, is that I read that passage and wrongly ascribe to myself the position of being in the middle. That's wrong. The point of origin is not America. The point of origin is the Middle East. And from that frame of reference, WE are then the "ends of the earth."

This is not to say that we should stop going forth and spreading the Gospel, or that we shouldn't support our missionaries. No, not at all. I just had an insight that there is perhaps more work already accomplished in bringing the Gospel to the world than I thought that there was.